Nika Bekkewold
What is courage? Well, courage is the push we need to face a difficulty! Facing danger and pain with fearlessness, spirit and determination. It could be acting a certain way even when experiencing fear and uncertainty. Acting courageous can also include taking big risks and doing things which would usually make us or others feel quite uncomfortable. Courage shouldn’t be seen as completely getting rid of fear but the as the power to face and beat fear while working towards good personal growth and potentially fulfilment.
Being courageous isn’t always something we prioritize, but there are so many reasons it’s important for us:
Courage helps us confront and overcome fears. Fear can hold us back from living a happy and fulfilling life. Yet having courageously beat our fears, we tend to feel great about ourselves!
Personal growth and achieving our goals are powered by our courage. We may often courageously push ourselves outside of our comfort zones, aiming for higher goals, and learning and reflecting on ourselves in the process.
Every time we act courageously, we get more motivated and confident in our abilities. Next time we experience a difficulty, a fear we won’t be as fearful to beat it as we have gradually been building up our resilience.
But of course, acting courageously while overcoming fear and uncertainty as we face a new challenge can be difficult, especially if we aren’t sure how to do it. Here is a very short list of the methods I’ve compiled which one may use to develop their courage:
making a goal seem more attainable by visualising success;
learning how to fight a fear by learning the roots of it;
separating a challenge into smaller, more realistic steps;
seeking help and support in others;
embracing certain failures and converting them into a learning experience, rather than dwelling on them;
taking the action instead of stressing over its potential consequences
A concept closely related to courage is rebellion, which is especially important in a young person’s life. Both acts of rebellion and acts of courage involve overcoming certain fears, which may include overthinking potential results, not reaching societal expectations, not fulfilling prescribed rules, and disappointing one’s authority figure. These are all valid fears we confront with acts of rebellion. Being courageous and acting rebelliously may also both involve confronting setbacks and criticism, which one must overcome. Finally, the opportunity for reflection is apparent in both approaches. Sometimes it may be a more negative reflection that we learn from, but it might as well be a point of realizing how much one has grown, too.
Based on what I’ve said about certain aspects of rebellion, I’d also like to present the positive effects rebellion can have on a young individual’s mind. Acting rebelliously doesn’t always mean blatantly disrespecting a norm or a rule - it can be simply defying something that doesn’t resonate with oneself. If one doesn’t wish to act upon a certain social rule in the name of their individuality, it is an expression of themselves rather than acting disrespectfully. Acting rebelliously may develop one’s independence, which is always a beneficial trait. It may also introduce creativity into one’s mindset by opening one mind to different ideas and perspectives.
Conclusion:
Courage and rebellion have their benefits. However, if we feel like we’re pushing it too much and truly, undoubtably feel uncomfortable with a certain situation, we should take a break and come back to it if, and only if, we are ready for it.
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